Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose specific examples of portable analyzers. The portable analyzers described in these Documents are of the type which includes a relatively rigid case incorporating therein devices and processing circuits for analyzing a predetermined specimen such as blood and which, as a whole, has a shape and size suited for being carried. The case has a front end portion formed with a hole and analysis of the specimen is possible when a specimen sampling implement is inserted into the hole.
With such an arrangement, a portable analyzer can be easily carried and is capable of performing a specimen analyzing operation repeatedly by replacement of the sampling implement. For example, a diabetic patient is desired to control his or her blood glucose level by measuring the blood glucose level within a predetermined time period after each meal. The above-described portable analyzer is suitable for such a use.
However, the above-described conventional technique still leaves room for improvements as described below.
That is, the sampling implement is inserted into the hole every time the analyzing operation is performed. For this reason, it is possible that the interior of the hole is stained if the sample implement is stained. A specimen, such as blood, is likely to adhere to the outer surface, in particular, of the sampling implement and in some cases the specimen thus adhering intrudes into the hole. In the case where the user does not sufficiently understand how to use the portable analyzer, the user might stain the interior of the hole by introducing the specimen directly into the hole without using the sampling implement. For the portable analyzer, the stained condition of the interior of the hole as described above is, in itself, not preferable from the viewpoint of hygiene. In the case where the portable analyzer is designed to analyze the specimen by an optical technique for example, the interior of the hole is often provided with a transparent aperture for applying the specimen with light from a light source and guiding reflected light or transmitted light from the specimen toward a light-receiving device. Therefore, it is difficult for the specimen to be correctly analyzed when the transmittance of the transparent aperture is impaired by stain on the transparent aperture. In the case where the portable analyzer is designed to analyze the specimen by an electrical or electrochemical technique unlike the former case, an electrode is sometimes placed within the hole. When such an electrode is stained, the specimen is still difficult to analyze correctly.
The above-described conventional technique has not provided means for easily and properly cleaning the interior of the hole stained. In order to clean the interior of the hole, it has conventionally been necessary to disassemble the portable analyzer and expose a portion corresponding to the internal surface of the hole. However, such an operation is not easy. Further, after the portable analyzer has been disassembled, it is possible that some disassembled parts are lost.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2007-303968
Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-184255